Tensions high on Election Day as progressives say establishment Dems are ‘bullying volunteers’

Infighting between Philadelphia’s Democratic Party establishment and its progressive wing escalated Tuesday, with several Election Day dustups between the factions reported at polling places — including at least one that required law enforcement intervention.

The disputes were largely related to progressive Working Families Party candidates who are running for a pair of at-large seats on City Council that are effectively reserved for non-Democrats. Progressive Democrats have lined up behind the third-party candidates, angering Democratic party leadership.

In West Philadelphia, a Working Families Party poll watcher was barred from entering a polling place. In South Philly, a progressive Democratic committeeperson said someone affiliated with party leadership snatched sample ballots out of her hand.

In another instance, a PAC affiliated with Democrats distributed a sample ballot that boosted a Republican at-large Council candidate over Working Families Party contenders.

The Election Day disputes were the latest in a feud between progressives and Democratic party leadership, culminating in the Working Families Party’s Pennsylvania chapter accusing the Democratic City Committee of engaging in unsavory tactics.

Organizing director Salaah Muhammad of the Working Families Party said in a statement that “instead of trying to fix the party’s dismal turnout rate, they’re focused on bullying volunteers and protecting their political fiefdom.”

Democratic City Committee chair and former U.S. Rep. Bob Brady said he had not heard complaints about bullying behavior, which he defined as attempting to physically intimidate others. He said the Democratic City Committee would put a stop to something like that if informed about it.

”There’s probably heated discussions out there,” Brady said. “I’ll argue with them as loud as they want to argue. Is that bullying? That’s being out-shouted.”

Five Democratic nominees for City Council seats that represent the city at-large are heavily favored to win seats Tuesday, given the party’s overwhelming voter registration advantage in the city. The Working Families Party candidates — Councilmember Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O’Rourke — are seeking two seats that are effectively reserved for non-Democrats.

» READ MORE: Republicans and progressives battle to expand their bases in the final days of a heated Philly City Council campaign

Brady has threatened to expel committee members who publicly back the Working Families Party candidates, citing rules that say committeepeople can’t support non-Democrats.

Democratic City Committee executive director and Councilmember Jim Harrity acknowledged that party leaders were monitoring polling places staffed by Democratic committeepeople who signed a letter endorsing the Working Families Party candidates. He said those asking voters to cast ballots for the Working Families Party could face expulsion.

The tensions appeared to spill into polling places Tuesday, according to Sergio Cea, political director for the progressive group Reclaim Philadelphia.

Cea was working as a poll watcher with the Working Families Party in West Philly’s 46th Ward — which is controlled by former Councilmember Jannie Blackwell, who has close ties to Brady and the Democratic City Committee.

When Cea tried to enter a polling place at the People’s Baptist Church on Baltimore Avenue, he said he was stopped by poll workers he asserted were allied with Blackwell. They barred him entry, saying his poll watcher certificate was printed on the wrong colored paper.

After a back-and-forth, Cea summoned members of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s election day task force to enforce his certificate.

“The DA’s office came in and informed them they weren’t allowed to do that. Blackwell got on the phone and they explained that to her, too,” Cea said.

Jane Roh, a spokesperson for District Attorney Larry Krasner, confirmed that prosecutors were dispatched to the polling place for a dispute centered on Working Families Party poll watcher certificates being printed on a different colored paper from those for other political parties.

No official actions were taken and Cea was admitted to the polling place.

“It was resolved verbally,” Roh said.

Reached through a relative, Blackwell asserted she was unaware of the incident and declined to comment.

» READ MORE: Bob Brady’s final warning to progressives backing Working Families Party candidates

But Cea saw it as an echo of past disputes between establishment Democrats and progressives in the ward. He had planned to challenge Blackwell for control of the ward in 2022, a bid that devolved into public shouting match and allegations that at least one person was allowed to cast a vote for Blackwell despite being ineligible to vote in ward elections.

“It’s a terrible use of energy. The committeepeople they’re targeting are doing the most outreach for statewide races,” Cea said. “There was no get-out-the-vote strategy in the ward this year. Instead, we’ve been dealing with this, from the top of the party: threats.”

Dana Pavlichko, a committeeperson across town in the South Philly’s First Ward, also said she felt targeted on Election Day because of her affiliation with the Working Families Party. While she was at the Columbus Square polling place, she said, a man approached her and snatched a stack of sample ballots out of her hand.

“He approached me and took my lit away from me,” she said. “He yelled that I’d be kicked out of the Dem party because I wasn’t handing out the right ballot.”

Brendan McPhillips, a political operative who ran campaigns for prominent progressives such as Helen Gym and John Fetterman, said he watched the scene unfold. When he approached the man to ask him to identify himself, he said, “None of your business, I work for Bob Brady,” according to McPhillips.

The man turned out to be Steve Lauer — a constituent services representative for Councilmember Mark Squilla — whom Pavlichko recognized from past elections at the polling station. Although she notified the DA’s Office about the incident, she said Lauer hopped into a car and drove off before anyone could respond.

Lauer declined to comment when reached by a reporter. Although Squilla was not present at the polling place, he said he later heard about the incident from the First Ward Leader Kathleen Melville and immediately called his staffer to tell him to knock it off.

“The message I got was that he took ballots from somebody and that he was telling them it was an illegal ballot,” Squilla said. “I said, ‘Listen, cease any contact with people working the polls.’”

Squilla said Lauer did not explain the exact nature of the incident to him.

“I don’t know, I guess it was the Working Family Party [sample] ballots,” Squilla said. “He didn’t explain anything to me and from what I understand it’s resolved. It’s got nothing to do with me. Anyone can hand out any ballots they want to. And he has off today, so he’s doing his own thing.”

Although the campaigns of Working Families Party candidates have circulated their own sample ballots, Pavlichko said she was actually handing out official Democratic Party ballots picked up from Brady’s office. However, the committee person said she had earlier signed on to the letter, along with other progressive Democrats, endorsing Working Families Party candidates.

“It just felt like bullying and intimidation because I signed the letter,” she said. “It’s very disappointing to have others in the party bullying you…It’s disappointing they want to lose boots on the ground for upcoming elections.”

Progressive Democrats aren’t the only ones pushing candidates outside the official party slate.

Some voters in South Philadelphia were also handed sample ballots Tuesday that asked them to vote for Democratic City Council candidates Isaiah Thomas and Rue Landau — and Republican candidate Jim Hasher.

The fliers say they were paid for by the “South Philly Voters PAC.” Paperwork filed with the state for that PAC shows the group’s treasurer is Mariel Joy Kornblith Martin, a political consultant and a Democratic committeeperson in South Philadelphia’s 39th Ward.

Campaign finance reports show the group is funded largely by contributions from Democratic PACs, including some contributions made before the May primary election by now mayoral nominee Cherelle Parker’s PAC. It spent about $30,000 on a canvassing operation in the spring.

Kornblith Martin did not return a call seeking comment.

Harrity said Democratic committeepeople supporting Republicans could face expulsion, similar to those who are backing progressives.

“The rules are clear,” he said.

Inquirer staff writer Sean Collins Walsh contributed to this article.